TEMAZEPAM 20MG TABLETS

Transcript

Temazepam 10mg Tablets/Temazepam 20mg Tablets
Your medicine is known by the either of above names but will be referred to
as Temazepam throughout this:

Patient Information Leaflet
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
 Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
 If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
 This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others.
It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
 If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist of nurse. This
includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section
4.
In this leaflet:
1) What Temazepam is and what it is used for
2) Before you take Temazepam
3) How to take Temazepam
4) Possible side-effects
5) How to store Temazepam
6) Further information

1) What Temazepam is and what it is used for
Temazepam is an anti-anxiety drug which is used in the short-term to help
people sleep. It belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines.
Temazepam is used for:
 short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty in sleeping) which is severe,
disabling or causing extreme distress
 pre-medication before minor surgery or other procedures.

2) Before you take Temazepam
Do NOT take Temazepam if you:
 are allergic (hypersensitive) to temazepam or other benzodiazepines (e.g.
diazepam) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (see section 6)
 have difficulty in breathing or lung problems
 have a condition called sleep apnoea syndrome (where breathing stops
during sleep)
 have myasthenia gravis (a condition where the muscles become weak
and tire easily)
 have severe liver problems
 have a history of mental illness, such as obsessions or phobias (irrational
fears)
 suffer from anxiety or psychotic illness. Temazepam tablets may unmask
or worsen symptoms
 are breast-feeding
 are a child under the age of 18 years.
Take special care with Temazepam
Talk to your doctor before you start to take this medicine if you:
 are elderly of frail. If you get up at night, take care as there is an
increased risk of falling and consequently of hip fractures due to muscle
relaxant effect of the tablets
 have long-term lung, kidney or liver problems
 have history of breathing problems. Whilst taking Temazepam tablets
your breathing may become less forceful
 have a history of problems with alcohol or drug abuse (your risk of
dependence is higher)
 suffer from mental illness, depression or depression with anxiety
 have recently suffered a bereavement (if Temazepam is taken to help
sleep during periods of bereavement it may stop you coming to terms with
the loss)
 are or suspect that you are pregnant.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any
other medicine including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Temazepam tablets may influence the effect and/or side effects of other
medicines. If you see another doctor or go into hospital, particularly if you
are having an operation under anaesthesia tell the doctor which medicines
you use.
The following medicines may increase the sedating effect of
Temazepam tablets:
 medicines to treat mental illness (antipsychotics)
 medicines to treat depression, such as phenelzine and amitriptyline
 other sleeping pills, such as zopiclone
 anxiolytic or sedative drugs, such as diazepam
 narcotics (strong pain killers) such as codeine, morphine. Feelings of
excitement (euphoria) may increase, which in turn increase the chance on
physical or mental dependence
 medicines used to treat epilepsy
 anaesthetics (used during surgery)
 sedative antihistamines, such as promethazine
 medicines used to treat high blood pressure, such as doxazosin and
lofexidine
 nabilone (used to treat vomiting and nausea)
 cisapride (used for stomach disorders)
 muscle relaxants, such as baclofen and tizanidine.

Zidovudine and ritonavir (retroantiviral drugs used to treat HIV infection
and AIDS) – may cause an increase in concentration of temazepam in the
blood.
Theophylline (used to treat asthma) – may decrease the effect of
temazepam.
Disulfiram (used to treat alcohol dependence) – inhibits the metabolism of
temazepam and increases the risk of temazepam poisoning.
Fluvoxamine (used to treat depression) – increases the concentration of
temazepam in the blood.
Cimetidine (used to treat stomach ulcers) – decreases the blood
concentration of temazepam in the blood.
Rifampicin (an antibacterial drug) – increases the metabolism of
temazepam and decreases the temazepam blood concentration.
Clozapine medicines used to treat psychoses.
Temazepam:
 increases or decreases the level of phenytoin
 increases the effects of sodium oxybate (used to treat narcolepsy with
cataplexy – sleep disorders with sudden and transient loss of muscle
tone)
 possibly reduces the effects of levodopa (used to treat Parkinson’s
disease)
 enhances the blood pressure lowering effect of anti-hypersensitive
medicines (e.g. moxonidine, beta-blockers).
Important information about some of the ingredients of Temazepam
 Patients who are intolerant to lactose should note that Temazepam
Tablets contain a small amount of lactose. If your doctor has told you that
you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before
taking this medicinal product.
Important safety messages about Temazepam:
 When taking this medicine there is a risk of dependence (a need to keep
taking the medicine) The risk increases with the dose and length of
treatment period. The risk is greater if you have ever had a history of
alcohol or drug abuse, or suffer from a personality disorder
 Close medical supervision is required when taking this medicine. Your
doctor will ensure that you take the lowest effective dose and this should
be taken for the shortest possible time and not exceed 4 weeks
 You may become tolerant to the effects of Temazepam after you have
been taking it repeatedly for a few weeks (see section 3, How to take
Temazepam)
 When stopping this medicine you may experience withdrawal effects (see
section 3, If you stop taking Temazepam)
 Behavioural effects may occur while taking Temazepam (see section 4,
Possible Side Effects)
 To reduce the risk of amnesia (loss of memory), you should make sure
that you are able to have an uninterrupted sleep of at least 7-8 hours
 If you have been given Temazepam for premedication, you should be
accompanied home.
Taking Temazepam with food and drink
 Do NOT drink alcohol while taking these tablets, as taken together they
could make you feel very drowsy which could be dangerous.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breast-feeding, ask
your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
If your doctor has decided that you should receive this medicine during late
pregnancy or during labour, your baby might have a low body temperature,
floppiness, and breathing and feeding difficulties. If this medicine is taken
regularly in late pregnancy, your baby may develop withdrawal symptoms.
Driving and using machines
Your tablets may make you feel drowsy during the day, make you forgetful
and impair your concentration, vision and muscle function. Also you will be
less alert if you have not been able to sleep for long enough. If affected, do
NOT drive or operate machinery.
The medicine can affect your ability to drive as it may make you sleepy or
dizzy.
 Do not drive while taking this medicine until you know how it affects you.
 It is an offence to drive if this medicine affects your ability to drive.
However, you would not be committing an offence if:
 The medicine has been prescribed to treat a medical or dental problem
and
 You have taken it according to the instructions given by the prescriber
or in the information provided with the medicine and
 It was not affecting your ability to drive safely.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure whether it is safe for
you to drive while taking this medicine.

3) How to take Temazepam Tablets
Always take Temazepam exactly as your doctor has told you. You will be
given the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. If there is
anything you are not sure about check with your doctor or pharmacist.
The tablets should be swallowed preferably with a glass of water.
Your doctor will decide the correct dosage; the usual dose is:

Insomnia
 Adults: 10-20 mg should be taken when going to bed or up to 30 minutes
before going to bed.
Very occasionally, the dose may be increased to 30-40 mg daily.
 Elderly patients: the dose is 10 mg daily. Very occasionally, this may be
increased to 20 mg daily.
 Children: Temazepam is NOT recommended for use in children under
the age of 18 years.
For patients who have certain problems with blood vessels or their liver
the dosage may be lower.
Do NOT change the dose yourself.
Premedication
 Adults: 20-40 mg should be taken 30-60 minutes before surgery.
 Elderly: Lower doses may be required by elderly patients, up to half the
normal adult dose may be adequate.
 Children: Temazepam is not recommended for use in children under the
age of 18 years.
If you take more Temazepam than you should
If you (or someone else) swallow a lot of the tablets all together, or if you
think a child has swallowed any of the tablets, contact your nearest hospital
casualty department or your doctor immediately. An overdose is likely to
cause drowsiness, difficulty in controlling movements, slurred speech and
involuntary eye movements; coma, low blood pressure and breathing
problems can also occur.
Please take this leaflet, any remaining tablets, and the container with you to
the hospital or doctor so that they know which tablets were consumed.
If you forget to take Temazepam
If you fall asleep without having taken a dose and wake up some hours
later, do not take the missed dose. If necessary, return to your normal dose
schedule the following night. Do not take a double dose to make up for a
forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Temazepam
You will be told by your doctor to stop taking the tablets as soon as is
possible and the dose will be reduced gradually. You should not stop taking
the tablets suddenly or without medical advice.
If the tablets are stopped abruptly or the dose reduced too rapidly you may
get unpleasant effects.
These withdrawal effects can include headache, muscle pain, tension,
severe anxiety, confusion, depression, restlessness, irritability and
sweating. In severe cases of withdrawal you may experience a feeling of
things being unreal, a feeling of detachment from your surroundings,
numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, sounds seeming to be louder
than usual and which can sometimes be painful if the sound is loud,
sensitivity to light or touch, hallucinations, involuntary movements, being
sick (vomiting) and fits. In addition, problems with sleeping, feeling restless
and anxious and mood changes may return.
If you experience these or any other unusual effects when you stop taking
Temazepam, speak to your doctor.

 vivid dreams or nightmares
 sleep disturbance
 changes in sex drive
 depression
 impaired muscular function
 dry mouth
 memory loss
 yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
 difficulty passing urine leading to pain and discomfort
 low blood pressure
 a very fast, uneven or forceful heartbeat (palpitations)
 salivation changes
 visual disturbance
 slurred speech (dysarthria)
 shaking
 incontinence
 blood disorders
 abnormal results in liver function tests.
Use (even at therapeutic dosages) may lead to physical dependence;
sudden discontinuation of treatment may result in withdrawal effects and
recurrence of problems.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This
includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also
report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at:
www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help
provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not
listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.

5) How to store Temazepam
 Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
 Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original package to protect from
light.
 Do not use Temazepam after the expiry date that is stated on the carton
and blister. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
 If the tablets become discoloured or show any other signs of deterioration,
you should seek the advice of your pharmacist who will tell you what to
do.
 Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste.
Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required.
These measures will help protect the environment.

If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor
or pharmacist.

What Temazepam looks like and contents of the pack
Temazepam Tablets 10 mg is a white to pale yellow, flat, round tablets with
a break-line on one side and “5K1” on the reverse.

4) Possible side effects

Temazepam Tablets 20 mg is a white to pale yellow, flat, round tablets with
a break-line on one side and “5K2” on the reverse.

Like all medicines, Temazepam can cause side effects, although not
everybody gets them.
If the following happens, stop taking the tablets and tell your doctor
immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital:
 an allergic reaction (swelling of the lips, face or neck leading to severe
difficulty in breathing; skin rash or hives).
This is a very serious but rare side effect. You may need urgent medical
attention or hospitalisation.
Tell your doctor immediately if you suffer from:
 behavioural changes such as restlessness, agitation, irritability,
aggressiveness, delusions, excitement, rages, nightmares, hallucinations,
confusion, psychiatric disorders and inappropriate behaviour, as your
treatment may be stopped; you are more likely to suffer these effects if
you are elderly.
The following side effects are common at the beginning of therapy. These
effects are often mild and usually wear off after a few days treatment:
 daytime drowsiness or drowsiness the following day
 reduced alertness
 loss of co-ordination
 numbed emotions
 confusion
 tiredness
 dizziness
 muscle weakness
 double vision
 light-headedness.
The following rare effects may also occur:
 skin reaction e.g. rash
 headache
 spinning sensation (vertigo)
 stomach upset (indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation)

Temazepam is available as blister packs of 28 tablets.
PL 10383/2131
PL 10383/2132

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. This information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States. The absence of a warning for a given drug or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. If you have questions about the substances you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.